Organizational Culture Get Over It John Bordeaux, Ph.D. SRA International, Inc

Meishi

Of Bagels and Patterns MindTel, LLC

Organizational K Creation Culture Infrastructure Building a shared mental model

First, Define the Terms A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way you perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems. -- E. Schein

A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way you perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems. -- E. Schein

Three Levels of Culture Artifacts What’s on the bulletin boards How offices are set up How meetings are conducted How people greet each other “ Official” values Corporate vision statement Written policies Code of ethics Artifacts Official Values Tacit Assumptions

Artifacts

What’s on the bulletin boards

How offices are set up

How meetings are conducted

How people greet each other

“ Official” values

Corporate vision statement

Written policies

Code of ethics

Three Levels of Culture Tacit assumptions Seldom discussed assumptions behind the actions That’s the way we do things around here. Artifacts Official Values Tacit Assumptions

Tacit assumptions

Seldom discussed assumptions behind the actions

That’s the way we do things around here.

Culture and Exchange Individualistic US culture is ideally suited to information exchange and discovery… Information transaction costs dropped precipitously through 20 th century … and completely unfriendly to costs of knowledge exchange, which have not changed noticeably Find people Negotiate with them Codify, exchange, translate

Individualistic US culture is ideally suited to information exchange and discovery…

Information transaction costs dropped precipitously through 20 th century

… and completely unfriendly to costs of knowledge exchange, which have not changed noticeably

Find people

Negotiate with them

Codify, exchange, translate

How Deep is Culture?

Law of Propinquity

Would you jump into traffic to save this child from imminent danger? Why?

Would you jump into traffic to save this child from imminent danger?

Why?

Networks based on Identity Law of propinquity does not fully explain social networks Effect Contractors “going native” through contract changes, start to believe they’re feds Portal/web site branding essential to early success – “looks like it’s ours!”

Law of propinquity does not fully explain social networks

Effect

Contractors “going native” through contract changes, start to believe they’re feds

Portal/web site branding essential to early success – “looks like it’s ours!”

Culture is Deep Pervasive Complex Strongly and lastingly affected by the values of the founder Incredibly stable Can be a barrier to transformation

Deep

Pervasive

Complex

Strongly and lastingly affected by the values of the founder

Incredibly stable

Can be a barrier to transformation

Get Over It.

A Government Agency Task Automate portions of briefing process, make process more efficient Found Change to briefing process ran up against “what works.” Briefers support senior level decision-makers, who outrank consultants… Fortunately, the briefers rotate out from this assignment after 1-2 years Approach Introduce to new briefers only Change nature of formal training, slowly changing course of informal training received from existing staff

Task

Automate portions of briefing process, make process more efficient

Found

Change to briefing process ran up against “what works.” Briefers support senior level decision-makers, who outrank consultants…

Fortunately, the briefers rotate out from this assignment after 1-2 years

Approach

Introduce to new briefers only

Change nature of formal training, slowly changing course of informal training received from existing staff

Another Government Agency Task On contract, in part, to develop “enterprise portal” for new agency Found New organization made up of existing operations What enterprise? Characterized by: Suspicion Fear Confusion Pressure War Leader established “flat” org chart, problematic as these are all military organizations Approach Lowered expectations for portal, worked instead to unify transport layer, work basic infrastructure before touting “enterprise initiative” Positioned KM analyst in Chief of Staff’s office to begin developing portal governance, policies, UI, etc. Project gained Imprimatur!

Task

On contract, in part, to develop “enterprise portal” for new agency

Found

New organization made up of existing operations

What enterprise? Characterized by:

Suspicion

Fear

Confusion

Pressure

War

Leader established “flat” org chart, problematic as these are all military organizations

Approach

Lowered expectations for portal, worked instead to unify transport layer, work basic infrastructure before touting “enterprise initiative”

Positioned KM analyst in Chief of Staff’s office to begin developing portal governance, policies, UI, etc. Project gained Imprimatur!

Solve Problems Who is working across organizational boundaries despite the lack of process and technological connections? Administration Public affairs Legal Facilities These are your Heroes of the Revolution

Who is working across organizational boundaries despite the lack of process and technological connections?

Administration

Public affairs

Legal

Facilities

These are your Heroes of the Revolution

A Non-Profit Task Wanted a “portal” to “handle the requests” expected from Exec announcement Poised to expect long line of people looking for info once certain press announcement was made Found Several dozen individuals, each with specialty, no team identity Little observable cross-functional cooperation

Task

Wanted a “portal” to “handle the requests” expected from Exec announcement

Poised to expect long line of people looking for info once certain press announcement was made

Found

Several dozen individuals, each with specialty, no team identity

Little observable cross-functional cooperation

Non-Profit Approach Approach Held meeting with principals, asked what they would do if everyone lined up at the front door - Who would handle what type of requests? Result: Full-day Saturday session where they diagrammed cross-functional processes, red-teamed the response workflow… … and decided they already had enough technology, added a single email alias to home page (no portal needed)

Approach

Held meeting with principals, asked what they would do if everyone lined up at the front door - Who would handle what type of requests?

Result: Full-day Saturday session where they diagrammed cross-functional processes, red-teamed the response workflow…

… and decided they already had enough technology, added a single email alias to home page (no portal needed)

Changing the Mountain Change the way that people work. Influence the next generation of leaders. Develop groups of change agents. Promote new leaders. Tell the same message over and over again.

Change the way that people work.

Influence the next generation of leaders.

Develop groups of change agents.

Promote new leaders.

Tell the same message over and over again.

The Small, Repeatable Miracle Solve a simple problem for everyone Creates evangelists Establishes trust and credibility Includes users “ Hey, do this next!” Change their tacit assumptions about how work gets done – replaces myths of dubious origin with solutions to actual problems *James Brian Quinn, Intelligent Enterprise , 1992

Solve a simple problem for everyone

Creates evangelists

Establishes trust and credibility

Includes users

“ Hey, do this next!”

Change their tacit assumptions about how work gets done – replaces myths of dubious origin with solutions to actual problems

Be as solid as the mountain you wish to change. Be the change you want to see. Gandhi. Deep Pervasive Complex Stable

Be as solid as the mountain you wish to change.

Be the change you want to see. Gandhi.

Deep

Pervasive

Complex

Stable

Organizational Culture Oh, Get Over It Already John Bordeaux, Ph.D.